The Shattered Horn
by unicorn-skydancer08
Summary: Terence sacrifices himself to save Tumnus in a fierce battle against the fierce Giants of the North. Now, Tumnus must repay the debt, and save his beloved friend and brother.
1. Chapter 1

**THE SHATTERED HORN**

_Yet another Narnia piece that I have been inspired to write, and I simply couldn't resist the temptation. _

_Aside from the movie, this was also inspired by the book version of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". I was especially impressed with this passage here: "_And they drove back the fierce giants (quite a different sort from Giant Rumblebuffin) on the north of Narnia when these ventured across the frontier."

_When I read that, I figured I ought to write a little something based off one of those particular fights. So, here it is, the first chapter! I'll admit, this is more intense and a bit more gruesome than what I typically write, but I'll do my best to not go overboard. Oh yes, and this is also based loosely on the "Unicorns of Balinor" series by Mary Stanton, as well as "Eye of the Beholder" by Elecktrum. _

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Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Other Characters (and Narnia) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_**All rights reserved.**_

**

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Chapter 1**

"Oh, dear Aslan," Tumnus said, in a voice so soft and so faint that only the ears of heaven could hear him. "What have I done?"

At the hooves of the bruised, battered faun lay a pitiful white mass, in a pool of deep red. The mass was actually a living creature, a unicorn—or, rather, it had been a unicorn at one time. Terence, Tumnus's dearest and noblest friend in all of the history of the world, lay in deathly silence upon his left side, on the cold, hard ground. His long, slender white legs were crossed and bent at different angles. His rich mane and tail, once as bright and shining as the purest moonlight, spread in all directions over the grass in a tangled, foam-gray pile. His coat, once a dazzling, spotless white that rivaled the virgin snow, was now streaked and stained with red and silver blood.

But the worst sight of all was the cruel scar that marred the beast's handsome face, and a jagged, bloody stub in the center of his forehead, where his glorious sun-gold horn used to be. That stub served as the sole testament of what the magnificent stallion had once been.

Tumnus could hardly believe it. He refused to believe it. This couldn't be happening…it couldn't possibly be true…not him…not his Terence…

By the Great Golden Lion, what had he done? _What had he done? _

"Oh, Terence," said the faun tremulously, his lips moving almost imperceptibly, his bright blue eyes welling and glistening with tears that threatened to shed forth. "Oh, Terence, Terence…"

Had it not been for him, none of this would have ever happened to begin with.

If Tumnus hadn't gone after that giant, and tried to finish the brute off himself, if he hadn't tried to play the big hero—

A deep chill colder and more brutal than even the Hundred Year Winter Tumnus had once been forced to endure engulfed the faun entirely. It spread from the peak of his horns, which protruded through the narrow openings in his dented helmet, clear down to the base of his cloven hooves. It seemed to crawl over his very skin, like living tendrils.

Had there ever been a time in his life when Tumnus felt fear and dismay and heartbreak such as this, he could not recall it.

And though the faun had always known and said that he loved Terence, he'd never fully realized the actual depth of that love—not until this instant, when Terence was lost to him.

A low, deep groan sounded from the creature sprawled at Tumnus's feet right then, and one of the forelegs shifted ever so slightly.

Tumnus's heart gave a jolt as he realized the unicorn still lived!

With his eyes still closed, Terence let out a feeble whinny, scraping at the earth with his golden hoof; and his lids began to twitch, like a butterfly twitching its wings. Though alive, Tumnus could see that his poor friend was in terrible pain. As the wounded stallion continued to stir, Tumnus swiftly moved up and sank to his knees in the cool grass at his side. Slowly and gently, the faun gathered the stallion's blood-spattered head into his warm, furry lap, and held him as gently and tenderly as he could. While one arm bore the full weight of the head, Tumnus used his free hand to brush through Terence's disheveled mane and soothe the unicorn's mangled brow, in an endeavor to comfort him as well as enliven him.

Terence shuddered, then drew in a deep, rasping breath. Finally, at long last, his eyes drifted open all the way, revealing their intense sapphire color. They darted about every which way, and in a thick, almost inaudible voice, the unicorn spoke: "Tumnus? Tumnus?"

"I'm here, Terence," the faun answered him in a soft voice, as his fingers went on caressing him. "I'm right here."

The unicorn now looked straight up, somewhat astonished to discover Tumnus holding him. Gazing directly into those blue eyes, Tumnus could see indescribable agony and weariness in their profound depths. Above all else, he could see that they were much darker than usual, their once lively radiance dulled by some hazy shadow.

The sight was enough to break Tumnus's heart. The faun hardly recognized the creature he cradled within his arms anymore. It was like the very essence of Terence was gone, along with his shattered horn. The tears that had sprung up within Tumnus's eyes began to spill without restraint, and they spattered Terence's face and neck like the tears of the rain.

"Tumnus." Terence had scarcely the breath to formulate proper words, let alone the strength to move his limbs. "I feel so weak…it feels as if I'm…I'm…"

"Shhhh," Tumnus mildly cut him off. "Be still, Terence. It will be all right. Everything's going to be all right." In his heart, the faun prayed that such words were true, especially at a time like this.

"Stay with me, mate," the unicorn besought him. "Don't leave me."

"Never," Tumnus vowed, his voice emerging strong and sincere, even as the tears continued to flood down his battle-weary, begrimed face. "I'm watching over you, Terence—my sweet friend, my brother."

The faintest indication of a smile brushed Terence's lips at that last part. The unicorn then closed his eyes, sank back into Tumnus's warmth, and thought no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE SHATTERED HORN**

_Presenting chapter 2. This was a little trickier to write than the first one, but I think it turned out quite well. And that's saying a lot, since I am __extremely__ picky about my writing. I'm my own worst critic. Once again, I apologize for getting a little more graphic than usual on you. I promise, this is as bad as it will ever get. _

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Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Other Characters (and Narnia) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_**All rights reserved.**_

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Chapter 2**

How could this have ever come about? Tumnus knew not. All he truly knew was that Terence was gravely hurt, possibly even dying, and it was all his fault. If only Tumnus had heeded Oreius's orders, right from the very start…if only the faun had used better common sense…

It had all begun when the feared Giants of the North crossed over the borderline, into Narnia, and High King Peter had led an army against them to drive them back. Tumnus, of course, took part in the fight, and Terence joined them. Tumnus recalled standing at the crest of the hill that morning with the unicorn, along with High King Peter himself, barely turned seventeen; and Oreius, a tall and robust centaur who was the chief leader of the cavalry.

Like all of the other fauns participating in this battle, Tumnus was garbed in a fine suit of heavy maroon-colored armor, complete with maroon vambraces that shielded his forearms and a thick helmet that protected his head, with holes just big enough for his horns and his long, leaf-shaped ears to poke through.

King Peter looked nothing short of dashing in his own armor, which consisted of a sleeveless red tabard emblazoned with a rampant gold lion—the insignia of Aslan, the Great Golden Lion, or just the Great Lion—over a long-sleeved mail coat laced with strong leather, and chain mail leggings; complete with sturdy vambraces and red leather gloves over his hands and forearms, and sabatons over his feet, and all topped off with a gleaming silver helmet with a folding visor.

And Oreius looked powerful and intimidating in _his _own armor, which included two breastplates (one to cover each half of his body), a heavy leather caparison spread over his back, and a long scabbard wrapped in dark leather strapped to each flank, each scabbard carrying a mighty and deadly sword.

Terence, being a unicorn, was in no real need of armor, but he stood as tall and proud as the rest of them, his long gilded horn jutting skyward like a sword of golden fire. Tumnus remembered looking at his mate once, and marveling at his splendor and majesty. Though Terence did not hail from Narnia, he was more than willing to fight for it, even if it meant sacrificing his life in the undertaking, and Tumnus felt extremely fortunate to have such a brave and loyal companion like him for a friend.

When the giants arrived at the battleground, their size, their number, and their apparent strength daunted Tumnus's heart, but Terence reassured the faun, "We can take them, mate. Remember, brains triumph over brawn every time."

"And numbers do not ensure success in a battle," Oreius had added, hearing this.

"No," Peter had concurred, from astride his horse, "but they certainly come in one's favor." Peter knew and understood, having fought against the army of the White Witch not too terribly far back. The numbers of the Witch's army greatly excelled their own, and it had only been through the grace of Aslan and the aid of reinforcements that they emerged victorious in the end.

When Peter gave out the official order to attack, Terence had reared up once and trumpeted a war cry to the heavens that made Tumnus want to cover his ears, and the unicorn was the first to stampede down the hill toward the enemy. Oreius and Peter were right behind him, and Tumnus reluctantly but resolutely trailed after them, along with the rest of their shouting troops.

The fight that followed would be nearly impossible to describe. To say that it was a terrible battle would be a grievous understatement.

Though the Narnians fought with every ounce of their might and zeal, the giants proved to have the greater advantage.

And to make matters worse, one particular giant that was more enormous than all the rest of them appeared just as the heat of the battle was waxing white-hot.

This giant, who had but a single eye that was a malicious yellow, and whose skin had a sickly grayish-green tinge to it, was almost as big as Castle Cair Paravel. Both his arms were as wide as a pair of oaks, and when he walked, the earth literally shook with every step. Everyone who saw him froze at the sight, and the air rang with more than one scream. Even Oreius could never have imagined a giant as monstrous as this; and, contrary to his reputation of being a creature of nobility and unwavering courage, the centaur took at least three tentative steps in the opposite direction, his tan, rugged face whiter than a sheet.

There were some who mustered the valor to launch an attack upon this giant. But, as it was undoubtedly apparent, no one stood a chance against the big brute.

Oreius himself was flung away, as easily as if he had been a rag doll, and he ended up in a crumpled heap in the dirt. Then Peter was knocked from his horse, and when the young king regained his senses, he found the giant's massive foot hovered directly above him, prepared to crush his bones. With a sharp cry of surprise and terror, Peter hastily rolled himself out of the way—and not a moment too soon, for the giant's foot descended one second later with a booming thud that once again caused the ground to tremble.

Ultimately, they reached the point where Oreius, thoroughly bruised and beaten, was compelled to cry out for a retreat. Those who remained standing were all too glad to adhere to this call, and pandemonium raged as the Narnians fled for their lives. Tumnus started to go with them, but then something made the faun stop and turn back.

As he surveyed the giant in the short distance, he remembered that a giant's heels were the most vulnerable part of its body.

If Tumnus could somehow get at those heels, they might have a sporting chance…

Though everything within Tumnus screamed against his actions, though he knew full well what he was doing was nothing short of suicidal, he forthwith seized his sword and swiftly took off the other way. When Oreius saw this, he stretched forth one hand and hollered frantically after the young faun, "Tumnus, come back! Tumnus!"

Terence, who was running with the others, slid to a halt when he heard Oreius's desperate cry; and when he glanced over his shoulder and realized what Tumnus was doing, he promptly did an about-face and bolted after his mate, his magnificent mane and tail streaming behind him in the wind.

"_Stop!_" Peter had bellowed to the unicorn as the stallion galloped past, but Terence paid him no heed, all thoughts centered solely upon Tumnus.

Tumnus bravely darted up to the giant, hurtling nimbly over rocks and small knolls, his perspiring hand fiercely clutching the handle of his sword the whole time. The giant was never even aware of Tumnus's presence, not until the faun was right up there next to his foot. When Tumnus gouged the bare skin of his foot with the keen blade of his sword, the giant gave a thunderous bellow of pain and surprise and rage that could be heard for miles.

Almost on impulse, the giant kicked out, sending Tumnus tumbling a good thirty feet or so.

When Tumnus recovered, the giant stomped up to him, his ugly countenance livid; but just as he was about to grind Tumnus into the earth and destroy him, Terence appeared. Tumnus managed to seize hold of the stallion's neck, and Terence whisked him safely away.

Tumnus now found himself hanging precariously from the side of Terence's neck as the unicorn glided over the rugged terrain, swerving about elaborately to avoid the rocks, his mane brushing continually against the faun's face. Tumnus could feel his legs swaying haphazardly behind him, and it was extremely difficult for him to maintain his grip on both Terence and his sword at the same time. Terence had shouted to him over his shoulder, "You're either an exceptionally brave faun, mate, or an exceptionally stupid one! What in the world were you thinking, going against orders and doing the very opposite of what Oreius told you to do? What you just did could have very well cost you your life!"

"You're one to talk, Terence," Tumnus had shot back, rather crossly, knowing that the stallion didn't always do what _he_ was told, either.

Meanwhile, the giant, who was not about to let his victims get away that easily, came stampeding after the faun and the unicorn, bellowing like a wounded rhinoceros in his fury.

Though Terence, being a unicorn, was fast by nature, the giant was even faster.

Within just ten strides alone, he caught up with the stallion, and Terence and Tumnus found themselves completely eclipsed in his shadow.

"Terence!" Tumnus yelled out, when it dawned on him what was happening.

Terence said nothing, but only turned his head enough to give Tumnus a nudge with his snout, so that the faun could get one leg over his back and straddle him properly. The unicorn then gathered up his stride and launched himself ahead of the giant.

For one split moment, it looked as though they would be able to get away—but Tumnus had dared to hope too soon, for the giant made an awesome leap into the air and landed squarely front of them, and the tremor of the earth very nearly toppled Terence right off his hooves. Tumnus screamed, and Terence's sharp hooves gouged up dirt as he made a desperate U-turn and started to go back.

Tumnus, having his back facing the giant at that time, did not know what happened next; but as Terence neared a gully in the valley, a titanic force struck from behind, and both faun and unicorn went flying liberally through the air. Tumnus was flung from Terence's back and hurled against a particularly large rock, his head taking the worst of it. And while his helmet saved him from getting his head split open, the force of the blow was enough to knock him out cold. His now unconscious body dropped helplessly to the ground, and there he lay, perfectly still and silent.

When Terence discovered Tumnus lying there, he believed at first—he was convinced—that the faun had just been killed, and the unicorn's heart swelled with rage.

He reared up and bugled an ear-splitting scream of ferocity to the giant, his horn upon his brow blazing savagely bright, flaming right to the outermost tip. The stallion reared and whinnied vehemently a second time, before plunging to all fours again and striking out viciously at his adversary with his shining horn. Though the giant was undoubtedly bigger and stronger, he retreated several steps when the unicorn first lunged at him, his one yellow eye looking perplexed, and even genuinely afraid. Yet his fear proved to be only temporary; and as Terence leaped and pranced about him, jabbing his horn at him incessantly, the behemoth snarled at Terence and made a drive to stomp him flat.

Twice, his foot barely missed Terence.

And then the third time, Terence's horn ended up buried deep in his foot, right in the heel—precisely where Tumnus had been aiming in the first place. The giant released another deafening roar at the pain, and he reactively wrenched his foot in such a way that Terence's horn broke right in two, making the unicorn shriek in shock and agony.

Blood spurted from both wounds, spattering the ground like rain, and covering Terence almost completely.

The giant, having been gravely wounded in the one area where he was the weakest, stumbled and pitched facefirst into the gully, where he took an earth-quaking landing and remained still on his front, never to rise again.

And no sooner had the giant fallen than Terence, no longer able to stand, keeled over and fell himself.

* * *

After what must have been an eternity, Tumnus slowly returned to his senses and opened his eyes to find himself on the ground, with his face pressed into the grass. He started to move, but then quickly thought better of it. The young faun remembered hearing Oreius mention at one time that you should never get up immediately after a bad fall.

"_Make sure you can still move properly,_" the centaur had said. "_Relax, take a few good breaths, and then move slowly. If you are hurt, stay right where you are, and do not move at all. Call for help if there is someone close by. If you feel like you are not hurt, gently pull yourself up, using your stronger knee to elevate yourself and keeping your other knee to the ground. Move very slowly, and take care; for even if you are not injured, you may still make yourself dizzy if you rise too abruptly._"

So, Tumnus remained still, and focused on moving only his left hand.

Yes, that seemed all right.

Then Tumnus tried moving his right hand, and then his right leg.

One by one, the faun attempted to move each and every last of his body parts. To his deep relief, nothing appeared to be broken, or damaged too badly.

It was actually his head that hurt him the worst, and he thanked Aslan that he had worn his helmet.

And so, taking Oreius's advice and moving slowly and with care, Tumnus heaved himself up onto his hands and knees, and used his somewhat stronger knee to boost himself up.

He staggered a little bit once he was on his hooves, but he was able to preserve his balance.

It was strangely quiet around him. When Tumnus looked around, all of the other giants appeared to have gone. Whether they were hiding, or had been driven off, or had simply run away at their own free will, he knew not. Looking ahead, Tumnus discovered a massive hulk lying facedown in the shallow ditch. His heart nearly jumped straight out of his chest as he realized it was the one big giant; but when he saw that the giant was dead, he almost passed out with relief.

Then he remembered Terence.

It didn't take long to locate the unicorn…and once he did, Tumnus's heart all but stopped beating at the sight of him, and he felt his innards dissolve into ice.

Now, here the faun remained with the wounded stallion, who still lived, but only barely.

As Tumnus knelt there in the grass and cradled Terence in his vambraced arms, listening to the unicorn's ragged breathing, he thought sorrowfully in his heart, _Oh, Terence, my poor Terence…you saved my life. You have saved us all. _

Another glistening tear dropped from his eye, and landed on Terence's bloodied forehead.

_Oh, my dear, dear Terence, you mustn't die! You mustn't! _

Looking at the serrated area upon Terence's face where his splendid horn once was, Tumnus felt physically sick, as if someone just fed him a draught of poison. That horn was Terence's glory—and now it was gone. _Gone. _Just the one word alone tasted nasty and bitter.

Guilt such as Tumnus had never felt before in his life engulfed him entirely, spreading through every last bit of his body like acid.

"Oh…oh, no," he groaned aloud, with a forlorn shake of his helmeted head. "Oh, what have I done? This is all my fault."

Terence had risked his life to save Tumnus…and now he was the one who was so weak and helpless. Now he was the one who had to pay the price, for Tumnus's stupidity.

What was Tumnus going to do? How could he ever survive without his best mate? If Terence died, Tumnus would surely die as well.

"Forgive me, Terence," Tumnus whispered repentantly, lowering his face to Terence's so that his tears mingled with the unicorn's blood, as well as the giant's black, bitter-smelling blood that also tainted him. "Forgive me."


	3. Chapter 3

**THE SHATTERED HORN**

_Finally got chapter 3 figured out. There is still a fair amount of gore contained in this one, but I'll try to not nauseate you readers too much. Truth is, I can hardly stand bloody scenes myself. I can't even stomach the sight of blood. Sure, I can bear the sight of a little bit, but a whole lot of blood at once makes me woozy. _

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Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Other Characters (and Narnia) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_**All rights reserved.**_

**

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Chapter 3**

"Sire? Sire, are you all right? Can you hear me? Speak to me, my King…" Something was gently slapping Peter's face.

Peter moaned and struggled to make his way through the layers of unconsciousness that enfolded him, like an underwater swimmer struggling to the surface. His eyes slowly fluttered open to discover Oreius's anxious brown face watching him. The centaur looked to be considerably battered—he had a particularly nasty-looking black bruise below his left eye, and a noticeable trickle of blood leaked from a cut on his right cheek. He was on his knees, and Peter found himself on his back on the cool ground, directly in front of the centaur; one of Oreius's strong, vambraced arms upheld his head and neck, and his free hand was what touched Peter's face and attempted to rouse him.

It took Peter a minute to remember exactly where he was, and what had just happened.

He was in the middle of a vast field, where many others—giants included—either lay dead or wounded, or merely overcome with exhaustion.

Thankfully, it was the enemy that had suffered the most casualties. The Narnians had won. Just the pure knowledge of that was enough to make Peter almost pass out again.

"Sire?" said Oreius solicitously, when Peter would not say anything. "Sire, it's me."

"Oreius." Peter's tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth, and his voice sounded weak and pathetic to his own ears.

"Yes, my lord, I am here," Oreius answered tenderly, his cinnamon-brown eyes emanating a special warmth. It was as if he were addressing his own child, rather than his king. The centaur's hand brushed ever so lightly over Peter's brow, clearing his tangled blonde locks from his eyes. Peter found this gesture strangely comforting.

"Have you the strength to stand, my King?"

"I believe so," said Peter softly, "though I may need some assistance in getting to my feet."

So, Oreius lifted the teenage monarch up with him as he ascended to his hooves, and he set Peter back down very carefully on his feet. Peter wobbled a bit once Oreius released his hold on him (yet remaining close enough to catch the young Son of Adam if he fell), but he kept his balance. Though he had gotten himself considerably banged up in the battle, Peter was just glad that all of his most important parts still moved and functioned properly. Were it not for his special armor, he would have undoubtedly been in a much more grave condition.

When Oreius was sure that Peter was reasonably all right, and could make it on his own, the two wandered about the battlefield together for a time, observing the aftermath of the battle. It was terrible, but not as terrible as they might have feared. Some in their army were wounded more severely than others. Peter knew his sister Lucy was going to have a field day, with her special fireflower juice that was capable of curing just about any physical injury. He also hoped that Terence, being a unicorn with the natural ability to heal, would be able to help them out.

Where _was_ Terence, anyway? The last time Peter had seen the unicorn, he had gone after Tumnus when Tumnus recklessly pursued the one big giant that was their most grievous encumbrance. Peter and Oreius, though neither of them spoke of it aloud, hoped and prayed earnestly in their hearts that, somehow, both the faun and the unicorn were all right.

Presently, they stumbled across a mammoth carcass spread out in a shallow valley, and the sight gave Peter such a start that he leaped back and inadvertently slammed against Oreius. Fortunately, Oreius braced himself in time, and therefore was able to save them both from falling over. They recognized the body as that of the barbaric giant with the solitary eye; and even though the brute was dead, the sight, not to mention the smell, of his ugly corpse made Peter's knees melt, and he almost collapsed to the ground—but Oreius caught him and steadied him.

Judging by the cracks and rifts that scarred the earth, and the uneven protrusions of rock that surrounded the body, the giant appeared to have fallen with incredible force. And from the flow of blood that emanated from its heel and saturated the ground, it didn't take Oreius or Peter long to figure out the cause of death.

Then, looking to the side, an even more terrible sight greeted their eyes.

In the not so far distance, Terence himself was spread-eagled on the ground on his side, with Tumnus lying on the unicorn's neck. Neither one of them was moving.

Peter gasped when he saw them, and Oreius never hesitated to rush to them, his hooves thudding loudly against the ground. Tumnus and Terence remained perfectly still as Oreius drew up to them, and when Peter reached them himself, the young king couldn't help looking away for just a moment, hiding his eyes in his hand.

Terence was practically covered from head to hoof in his own blood, and a black substance that resembled tar. Oreius knew it instinctively to be giant's blood, and no doubt it had come from that dead giant back there. And the unicorn's horn, his fine, beautiful horn, was gone.

"Oh, dear Aslan," Oreius whispered faintly, all of the color draining from his face. "Oh, Terence…"

The shock and dismay in the centaur's face and tone of voice somehow frightened Peter even more than this; for the centaur was generally accustomed to seeing awful sights, being a soldier of war and all that.

Looking at Tumnus, Peter saw that the faun didn't appear to be nearly as badly wounded as Terence was…but his helmet was badly scratched and scuffed, with a dreadful dent on one side. Peter couldn't see Tumnus's face at the moment, as it was buried in Terence's tangled mane. Both the faun's vambraced arms clung steadfastly to the stallion's neck. Peter would have taken the two for dead, had it not been for the occasional rise and fall of Tumnus's shoulders, and the soft rasp of breath that sounded from Terence.

Oreius quickly but carefully lowered himself to the ground again, tucking his legs beneath his body, and Peter knelt down as well. Oreius reached out for Tumnus first, turning the faun gently over so that they could see his face, cradling his head in the crook of his elbow. Tumnus's eyes were closed, and his face was ghostly white despite a mild sunburn, and the dirt and grime that streaked his nose and cheeks and forehead. A yellowish-purple bruise swelled under the faun's right eye, a long but superficial cut marked his brow, and lines of salt that came from the shedding of tears streaked all sides of his face.

"Tumnus!" Oreius called softly yet urgently to him. "Tumnus—speak to me!"

As Peter had done, Tumnus groaned in response, and he very slowly opened his eyes, which turned out to be quite red.

Blinking distractedly, the faun peered up at Oreius as one in a stupor, and said in a hoarse voice, "Oreius? Is it…you?"

"Yes, Tumnus," Oreius answered kindly, offering a smile. "It is I." He touched the faun's face gently with his free hand. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," said Tumnus weakly, though he wasn't sure exactly what Oreius meant by "all right".

Peter, meanwhile, was trying to rouse Terence. "Terence?" he said, hoping the unicorn could hear him, and would answer.

He put a tentative hand on the soft white curve of the creature's neck. And, whether in response to the boy's voice or touch, or both, Terence gave a slight quiver, and a quiet whinny escaped his lips. His dim blue eyes fluttered open once more, this time to find Peter leaning over him.

"P-Peter?" the unicorn rasped, managing to raise his head to some extent.

"Terence," was all Peter could bring himself to say, his heart wrenching unbearably to see the poor beast in this state.

Terence said nothing more, but only closed his eyes again, and his head began to drop like a stone. But Peter hastily caught it in midair, and laid it down very gently on the grass. Terence kept his eyes closed as he lay there, but Peter saw him grit his teeth, and the unicorn's handsome face contorted in a spasm of pain as he let out a pitiful squeak.

Tears spilled freely down Peter's cheeks as he regarded the bloody remnant of Terence's horn, and all he could do was embrace the unicorn.

"It's all my fault," said Tumnus in a cracked voice, seeing this. The faun's eyes welled up afresh as he continued inconsolably, "If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened. I should never have gone after that giant…and Terence wouldn't have had to come after me. And now…now look at what's become of him. It's my fault. It's all my fault." Tumnus turned away and hid his anguished face in Oreius's chest, his tears sliding down the cool, smooth metal of Oreius's armor. "Forgive me, Oreius," he begged. "I have deliberately disobeyed you, and my rebellion has cost the safety and the well-being of another. Please…please, forgive me."

"It's all right, Tumnus," said Oreius, as he held him close and soothed him as best he could. "You and Terence have both acted with outstanding courage today. You have done all you could within your power to help us triumph in this war…and we did. Victory is ours, because of you."

If he had thought these words would cheer Tumnus up, or at least bring him comfort, the centaur was sorely mistaken.

Tumnus only continued to huddle against Oreius, and he burst into outright sobs that made his whole body tremble, bringing both hands up to cover his dirty face as he wept.

Presently, Lucy's young voice sounded in the distance: "Peter! Oreius! Terence! Mr. Tumnus!"

Susan, Peter's other sister, was also calling out frantically for them.

Terence didn't move from his spot, and Tumnus kept his head down and his hands over his face, but Peter and Oreius simultaneously turned their heads to see the two girls hurtling toward them, with Lucy in the lead. Susan's quiver of arrows was still slung over her shoulder, and Lucy was clutching her cordial of fireflower juice in one hand. Both girls were white with anxiety and fear. As they approached the group, Lucy stopped abruptly, very nearly causing Susan to crash into her from behind. "Terence!" Lucy gasped, when she saw the unicorn. "No!"

As if launched from a catapult, she dashed forward again. Susan could hardly keep up.

Lucy thought she would never get over there quick enough, and she plunged to her knees at Terence's side the moment she reached him, tears flooding unrestrainedly down her face.

"No!" she cried again, her voice breaking. "Oh, please, _no!_"

When Susan finally caught up with the rest of them, and had dropped to the ground herself, she felt her heart falter upon sight of Terence and the bad shape he was in, and her stomach clench. "No," she gasped herself. "No…Terence…it can't be…it just _can't_ be…"

In their eyes, the sight of Terence's broken, blood-spattered body was horrible enough, but the absence of the stallion's divine horn was far worse—a hundred times worse.

"Terence!" Lucy wailed, on the brink of hysteria. "_Terence!_"

"He'll be all right, Lucy," Peter said gently, trying to calm her. Yet even as he gave voice to those words, he didn't see how such a thing could be even possible.

Tumnus never looked up the whole time, nor did the faun trust himself to speak.

Oreius just kept shaking his head as he sorrowfully regarded Terence.

Without his horn, Terence looked incredibly gaunt and small. The sight was enough to shatter even the hardest of hearts to pieces.

"Lucy." Terence appeared to have become aware of Lucy's presence at last, and Lucy's heart fluttered wildly within her, like a bird trapped in a cage.

"Oh, Terence!" she sobbed, when his weary gaze met with hers. "Oh, my dear, dear Terence!"

Unable to help herself, she threw her whole body across Terence's neck, positively howling with despair. Terence's only reaction was a slight grunt as he felt the unexpected weight drop on him.

"Terence," said Susan, still unable to get over what she was seeing, "what's happened to you? How did you—?" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

The unicorn's response emerged in broken, dazed words. "The giant…its heel…my horn…still there…" His voice faltered and wavered into nothingness, but the rest of them understood him perfectly.

Without a word, Oreius stood, leaving a grief-stricken Tumnus still on the ground, and headed swiftly for the body lying in the valley. Up close, the centaur could just barely make out the end of Terence's horn, buried in the giant's heel. Oreius took a deep breath and held it, fighting to keep his stomach from turning, as he braced one hoof against the corpse and used both his hands to extract the bloody horn from the gray heel. The horn came out quite easily, though it dripped profusely as Oreius pulled it free, the black ooze making it look as if it had been dipped into a giant pot of ink. Oreius grimaced at the sight and the smell, and wiped the horn as best he could on a clean patch of grass before returning to the others.

Peter took the broken horn within his own hands as Oreius brought it over, and he asked Terence, "What do we do with this, Terence? Isn't there any way to fix your horn?"

"Well, obviously…you can't just glue it back on," Terence answered, and they detected the subtlest hint of sarcasm in his husky voice. "The process…is much more complex…only a very special…and rare magic…can restore me…" Once again he trailed off, and once again the stallion closed his eyes and passed out.

Lucy just continued to cling to him and sob her heart out over him, while Susan stroked the unicorn's soft muzzle with her tender fingers, tears streaming down her own face as she did so.

"We must get him back to Cair Paravel," Oreius said to everyone. "We can care for him as best we can there, and later figure out what we ought to do next."

Tumnus still hadn't spoken all that time.

But inside his heart, the faun vowed, _I swear to you, Terence, no matter what it takes, no matter what the price, I will save you. You have saved me…and now, I must repay the debt, and do the same for you. I could never be counted worthy as your friend otherwise. I will save you, mate, even if it means that I must die in your place. _


	4. Chapter 4

**THE SHATTERED HORN**

_The good news is that we are finally done with the battle sequences, so there's no more talk of blood and fighting, and all that. So, you don't have to worry about your stomach getting upset anymore. The bad news is that our characters still have quite a ways to go. They may have won the battle, but they still need to help Terence. _

_The rest of the story focuses on how Tumnus strives to repay Terence for what the unicorn has done for him, what he has done for all of them. _

_

* * *

Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Other Characters (and Narnia) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_**All rights reserved.**_

**

* * *

Chapter 4**

As Terence did not have the strength to get back to Cair Paravel on his own, and as the castle was a fair distance away, Oreius, along with Tumnus and Peter and Edmund (who miraculously survived the battle, with minimal injuries), and a small group of fauns, satyrs, and centaurs who maintained sufficient strength, loaded the unicorn into a special cart.

To keep him sustained on the journey back, Lucy fed Terence two or three drops of her fireflower juice. It took nearly every ounce of the little girl's willpower to not dump the entire contents of her cordial down his throat. And while the juice was of no aid in putting Terence's broken horn back together and making him whole, at least it helped to keep the stallion alive, for now. And it helped to quench the pain a great deal, so Terence didn't keep squirming and moaning so much. Lucy and Tumnus both rode in the cart with him as they all made the long and weary procession to Cair Paravel, with Tumnus holding Terence's head in his lap the whole time. Terence only seemed half-aware of what was going on.

When they finally arrived at the castle, Terence was taken to the royal stables, where he was laid on a soft bed of fresh straw, and Tumnus and Lucy and several others worked together to clean him up, using warm, soapy water and clean rags. It took well over two hours to scour all the filth from the unicorn's coat, and they had to use more than one basin of water.

Even after every remaining trace of blood had been washed away, and they could stand to look at Terence without getting queasy, Terence's coat remained a dull off-white, rather than the brilliant shining white it had always been. His eyes remained dim and lifeless, the usual animated spark all but snuffed out, like a candle that had its flame doused. His face, once so full of spirit, was now hollow and gaunt. And it wounded everyone's hearts, to say nothing of Tumnus's heart, to see the pitiful creature so weak and feeble.

It took Terence nearly everything he had just to raise his head, and even then he could never hold his head up for very long.

Once or twice, the stallion made an honest effort to stand, but the effort proved to be too much, and he ended up simply crumpling back down into the straw.

All that day, Tumnus and Lucy stayed with him, refusing to leave him for so much as one minute. Occasionally Peter, Susan, Edmund, and even Oreius stopped by to see how Terence was faring. Once, sometime toward early evening, Oreius brought a bowl of warm mash with him. As Terence had eaten virtually nothing for nearly two days, Oreius claimed that this stuff would help nourish him. While Tumnus knelt and held Terence's head, the centaur attempted to feed the special pulp to the unicorn, one spoonful at a time. But Terence wouldn't eat.

"Come on, Terence," Oreius urged him softly. "You must eat it. Come on…"

Terence only moaned in response, but he managed to work his lips around and take in at least a little of the food, though most of it ended up dribbling down his chin.

"That's right," Oreius said with an encouraging smile. He was able to successfully give Terence several more spoonfuls, until Terence couldn't handle any more, and Oreius had to stop.

While Terence lay there in a half-stupor, Tumnus stroked him gently.

"My poor Terence," the faun deplored, his countenance unbearably sad. "My dearest, truest friend."

Susan, who had entered the stall just then with a small lantern, came up to them and asked, "Has there been any change? Any sign of improvement at all?"

"No," Tumnus answered her heavily. "None, whatsoever." He sighed and bowed his head, closing his eyes as he did so and covering them with one hand. Oreius reached over and gently grasped the faun's bare shoulder, longing to say something to comfort Tumnus, but wondering what he could say.

Meanwhile, Lucy was examining Terence's golden horn, which had been scrubbed to a pristine gleam—and she was astonished to discover a faint silvery hue at the very tip. She blinked, but her eyes did not deceive her. She tried rubbing the spot off with her fingertips, then on the hem of her dress, but it was no good. It was like the very color of the horn was fading.

"Terence," said Lucy bewilderedly, "your horn…one end of it has gone from gold to silver!"

This caught Tumnus, Oreius, and Susan's attention at once. "What?" said Oreius. "Let me see that thing!"

He snatched the horn away from Lucy and looked at it closely, and saw that she was right.

"How can this be?" Susan asked, mystified.

"Terence, what does this mean?" Tumnus feared to ask.

"When a unicorn's horn is broken," Terence answered wearily, "the horn itself slowly fades to silver glass…as it is no longer part of a living being…and therefore its power slowly but surely drains away, unless the horn is properly mended in time. The more the horn fades…the weaker the actual unicorn becomes."

"W-what happens if the horn is not mended in time?" Lucy asked tremulously, her eyes wide and shining with a solid layer of tears.

"Then the horn will become nothing more than pure glass, and shatter…and the unicorn will die."


	5. Chapter 5

**THE SHATTERED HORN**

_This next chapter is my favorite, mostly because a character is featured in here that I didn't expect to write about in the beginning. So far, out of all the chapters, this one's probably the most emotional. I've suffered a major emotional blow just the other day; I found out that one of my friends passed away earlier this week. So, depicting the emotions in here was practically a piece of cake. _

_

* * *

Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Other Characters (and Narnia) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_**All rights reserved.**_

**

* * *

Chapter 5**

A dead silence fell over the stall. Tumnus could feel an icy chill envelop him, as could Lucy and Susan. Even Oreius felt his heart trip a beat, and a rock-like lump of dread settle in his stomach.

Die, Terence had said. He said it just like that, pure and simple, without sprinkling a speck of sugar.

Without his horn, he was going to _die._

Lucy was the first to break the ominous silence. "No," she protested. "No, that can't be!" Her tears that had sprung up spilled over and gushed freely down her freckled cheeks. "No, Terence, no—you can't die!" she wailed, flinging her whole body across the unicorn's neck and clinging fiercely to him, so that her tears fell upon his skin. "You just _can't_—you _mustn't!_"

Now both Tumnus and Susan were shedding tears abundantly, and Oreius himself became misty-eyed. Tumnus's chest gave a violent heave, and he felt he was going to be horribly sick on the spot. In pure anguish, the faun closed his eyes and dropped his face into his hands, while Oreius covered his own face with one hand, and Susan leaned over and joined Lucy in hugging Terence. Over and over, Lucy kept sobbing to Terence that he could not die, and Terence only replied huskily, "I'm sorry, Lucy…but unless my horn is restored, there is nothing left for me."

"But how, Terence?" Susan managed to ask the hornless unicorn at one point, her voice thick with tears. "How can we possibly fix your horn? We're not magicians, or wizards. None of us has any real experience in the field of magic. We can't make miracles. What can we do?"

Terence seemed at as much of a loss as the rest of them did, and Lucy tightened her grip on his neck and wept harder.

A sense of terrible loss bled through Tumnus, as though Terence were already dead. In addition to his grief and despair, the faun felt the crushing weight of guilt rest all the heavier upon his shoulders. He knew this was all because of him. If what Terence was saying was true, and the unicorn was going to die, how would Tumnus be able to live with himself?

How could he ever make it, knowing his one true friend's death was upon his hands?

They had to save him—but how? Tumnus couldn't see how they could do it. Terence had said so himself; a unicorn's horn was not easily restored. They couldn't just reattach it; it had to be joined as one to the rest of Terence's body, so that Terence could receive its full energy and strength.

It all seemed far too great, much too impossible a task to accomplish.

Much as they all wished it were not so, things looked pretty hopeless for Terence. It would take a miracle to save the poor beast, now.

* * *

Later that same night, Tumnus and Lucy slept with Terence in his straw-pillowed stall. Neither could bear to leave his side, and Terence, even though he knew there was nothing his friends could do for him, hated to be alone. No one made an objection to the three spending the night together. Susan even brought an armload of extra blankets and pillows from Cair Paravel into the stable for Tumnus and Lucy, as well as for Terence, for the night was cold. Peter also brought Tumnus and Lucy some hot tea, though they could hardly drink it, and Oreius gave Terence some warm liquid that helped make the unicorn a little more comfortable.

Rather than sleep on the pillows, Lucy opted to sleep on Terence's neck, while Tumnus curled up against the stallion's silky flank.

Lucy, quite worn out from crying and the grueling events of the past few days, fell asleep almost immediately. Tumnus, on the other hand, lay forlornly against Terence's side and wept for hours, until exhaustion got the better of him in the end, and the faun slipped into a leaden sleep himself.

As Tumnus slept, he dreamed that he was standing alone in a vast field, where the lush green grass grew well past his hocks, and the sky overhead was a clean, sharp, cloudless blue.

He thought he spotted Terence, in the near distance—but before Tumnus could get to him, a sudden veil of darkness settled over the field, and Terence disappeared completely in a wave of swirling blackness. It all seemed so vivid, so real, and Tumnus's own piercing scream awoke him.

His face drenched in sweat and tears, the faun jerked upright and glanced frantically about the dark stall, breathing harshly, his heart beating a mile a second within his breast.

He could feel Terence's reassuring presence beside him; the sweet smell of hay and alfalfa tickled his nostrils, and his ears caught the faint sound of Lucy's breathing. Neither Terence nor Lucy stirred, or gave any indication of having heard Tumnus's cry. In fact, the only ones who seemed aware of the faun were the royal horses, for some of the animals poked their heads out over the tops of their private stalls, their ears pricked forward, their eyes wide and alert.

For one fleeting second, Tumnus experienced warm, glorious relief when he realized that it was only a dream, as convincing as it had been…but then reality came crashing down on him.

Remembering Terence, and the sacrifice he made for Tumnus's sake, and the unicorn's imminent doom, brought the agony back full force. For a moment, Tumnus literally couldn't breathe, and he was more than sure he would die himself, right there in the stall. Fresh, hot tears burned and stung his eyes, fogging his surroundings, and his throat closed up, making it nearly impossible to swallow. Unable to stay with Terence and Lucy, loath to disturb their idyllic sleep with his weeping, even though both the girl and the unicorn appeared dead to the world—and it seemed even a blast of cannon fire would not have awakened them—Tumnus somehow managed to rise to his hooves, and stumble over the threshold.

Despite the lateness of the hour, and notwithstanding the bitter chill that was in the air, Tumnus staggered all the way out of the stables, into the night. The faun ventured a short distance, before stopping and crumpling to the ground. Rather than get up again, he simply lay there, allowing his emotions to gush out of him along with his tears.

He was only vaguely aware of the chill wind that swept over him, and there was a metallic smell in the air, indicating the presence of rain. Sure enough, several icy drops pelted against Tumnus's skin, and the flow increased steadily by the minute. Within a short time, Tumnus was quite soaked. But he hardly noticed, much less cared.

He couldn't very well speak aloud, but inwardly, he groaned, _Oh, Terence…Terence…what am I going to _do?

And, almost without realizing it, his heart cried out to the heavens, _Oh, Aslan, help me! _

"Tumnus," a sudden voice spoke, like the peal of a golden bell, sounding astonishingly close.

Nothing but the sound of that one voice could have persuaded Tumnus to open his eyes and lift his streaming face from the ground, and who else stood before him but Aslan, the Great Lion himself? The magnificent lion stood enfolded in a soft, almost ethereal glow, and though the rain was pouring on every side of him, for some reason he didn't look a bit wet.

Whether this was for real, or whether it was merely an illusion, Tumnus knew not, but he felt his bones melt at the sight of his lord.

"Oh, Aslan, it's you!" the faun said with a strangled sob. "You're here!"

"I am always here," Aslan reassured him lovingly, his wise amber eyes emanating piercing tenderness. "Even when you can't see me, I'm always with you. You have only but to call for me."

"Oh, Aslan," Tumnus wept, holding his hands out imploringly to the Lion, "will you help me? Can you help me? Terence, my best and most beloved mate, has been horribly wounded. He has lost his horn, which was broken off when he was saving my life. He may very well be dying—and it's all my fault. Oh, please, Aslan, I beseech you, with everything that is in me, tell me there's a way to save him! Tell me there is a way to reverse his fate. I could never bear it, if Terence died!"

He reached out for Aslan as he made his earnest plea, and when he found he could touch him, he bent into a ball at Aslan's feet and pressed his forehead abjectly to the Lion's paw. "Please," he begged again, "please, Aslan…I'll do anything. I'll gladly die in Terence's place, if I have to. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."

Aslan did not shift from the spot, nor did he answer Tumnus right away. But when the Lion did speak again, he told Tumnus in a quiet, gentle tone, "There is a way, my son."

Hearing these glorious words, Tumnus promptly raised his head to face Aslan directly, rainwater mingling with his tears, hope shining in his eyes. It was almost too much to believe, too good to be true—yet if there was any chance whatsoever of saving Terence, however wild or slim, Tumnus was ready to seize it. "What, Aslan?" the faun gasped. "What must I do? Tell me! _Tell me!_"

"You must take Terence to the Stone Circle," Aslan instructed him. "An ancient and exceptionally rare magic abides within that place."

And Tumnus didn't know if it was just the rain dripping in his eyes, but the faun thought he could see a vision of that Stone Circle the Great Lion spoke of. For one brief moment, he could see a sloping green valley flanked by dense green trees and soaring purple mountains, and within the center of that valley stood a group of lofty obelisks, each one shaped of solid gray stone, and forming an almost perfect circle. Even when Tumnus blinked and there was nothing there, he could still remember what he had seen, as if the image had been burned into his brain. Looking toward Aslan again, he questioned, "How can we get there, Aslan? And when we make it, if we ever do, how would we be able to help Terence?"

"You will find a way," Aslan promised, placing his front paw on the faun's bare shoulder, and Tumnus found both strength and comfort from the Lion's touch. "Have faith, Tumnus. Only through your faith and your courage will you be able to help your friend. What becomes of Terence depends on how far you are willing to go, for his sake."

Tumnus could feel the warmth of new tears upon his cheeks again, and his voice broke as he replied humbly, "I'll do anything for him, Aslan. _Anything. _It's the only way I can truly compensate for what I've done to him. Besides, if _my _life were at stake at this time, Terence would risk life and limb to help me. How could I ever call myself his friend, if I weren't willing to do the same?"

Aslan lowered his face to Tumnus's, pressing his nose lightly to the faun's brow, as a sign of blessing.

"Then go, my son," said the Lion, his voice reduced to a soft, creamy purr, "and may the stars watch over you on your way."

Tumnus closed his eyes when he felt Aslan brush his forehead, and when he opened his eyes again not a minute later, the Lion was gone, as though he had never been there to begin with.


End file.
